Darien Gap 2003

[colesyboy]

Hi all,

Had a quick search here, but could not find much on the latest on the Darien Gap. I am planning on traversing the gap either by air or water this year and need to know if the ferry is up and running....if it is, has anyone here used it / know what the score is with it?

Cheers guys,

Brian Coles

[jondoe]

Hi!

Now is not the best time to visit Columbia,loads gerilla war fare and that like.

Biker's go from Panama city on a boat(private in most of cases)to Venezuela or go to Equador by air.
I'm not a specialist on this area,try to contact some one who is more informed.

Some usefull things in 'trip planing' section of the site allso.

cheers

jondoe

[John Ferris]

This is part of a post from Mark Moors sent last month about going around the Darien Gap.

Dispatch No. 9 - February 16, 2003 - Nazca, Peru
I stayed for two nights in David, then continued on to Panama City, the end point of my Central American leg of my trip. I went directly to the airport cargo area to get the information i needed about shipping the bike to South America.(snip) one has to fly or ship ones bike into South America to continue the journey south. I decided to use a company called Girag, as i had heard from other people that they were very professional. They told me to come back in two days time (Saturday) and leave the bike for the flight out Monday. I also needed to book a flight on Avianca Airlines to Bogota, Columbia, for myself. Total cost for my ticket and shipping the bike: about $500 (U.S.).}
(snip)--
On Saturday, we drove our bikes to the cargo area, and prepared the bike for the trip (disconnect the battery, tie everything down, etc).
(snip)
The flight on Monday to Bogota was uneventful, other than the nagging thought on my mind that my motocycle was going to be badly damaged in transit. As it turns out, i had nothing to worry about. I got to the cargo terminal in Bogota and after dealing with Columbian Customs, was taken to my moto, unmarked and ready to go. The Girag employees in Bogota, as well as the Customs people, were incredibly helpful and friendly and this first experience with the Columbian people was to become the norm during my one week in the country.

[jcb51]

I also flew my bike from Panama to Bogota,no problem,except clearing the bikes became a nightmare. If you can afford it,pay somebody who clears "stuff" all the time. You have to be very meticulous about their forms. Had I paid $us15,I would have cleared my bike in 1 hour instead of waisting my whole day.
The ferry option I discounted on the grounds of stories I heard by panamanian people.Ferries running drugs get highjacked with passangers and their cargo,entering colombia from Venezuela is not the safest option and entering Colombia directly by ferry from Panama is a lot more dangerous.
Whatever you decide is your choice,but make it your RULE to stay on main highways.
have a great trip.
Jorge

[colesyboy]

Thanks for answering guys and for putting my mind at rest.

Cheers

Brian